A Strong Foundation
by reilert79
Summary: Chris, David and Mary Beth continue to work on the foundation; Chris, Bridgit, Lisa, Ann, and Charli take a girls trip.


***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris wakes up on Monday, the day of Samuel's will reading. She and David worked on the foundation all weekend. She attended Al Corassa's funeral on Saturday, and then spent the rest of the weekend working on the foundation. They had completed a lot of legal hurdles, such as filling out forms for permits, and setting up the foundation tax wise. But there was still a lot to do.

She got out of bed and headed for the shower. When she was done, she started picking out her outfit for the day. She finally chose red and white palazzo pants and a white racerback sleeveless top. She added a long gold necklace and put on some gold flats. She added a thin gold ¾ sleeve cardigan shell at the last minute.

She woke David up, and then started making them breakfast. Tomato, turkey bacon, and egg white breakfast sandwiches with some sliced fruit. She even squeezed him some fresh orange juice. After they ate breakfast, she quickly cleaned up the dishes after they were done, and loaded the dishwasher. David was still eating.

"This is great babe. Fresh squeezed orange juice too? You're a keeper". He kissed the side of her head as he brought his dishes to the sink.

"You know what they say, honey. Happy wife, happy life".

She finished loading the dishwasher and she started it. Then she gathered her things and David grabbed his briefcase. They walked to the car together and he helped her put her things in the car.

"I love you more than anyone in the world, babe. Want me to go with you to the will reading?" He kissed her.

"I would love that. I will text you the address. I love you the moistest, honey". She kissed him back.

They headed to work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris walked in and signed in. She filled her water bottle and then sat down at her desk. She and Mary Beth had been given a new case- a string of date rapes, all involving a man whose description was similar in each case. She started compiling the lists of witnesses and victims that she thought they should talk to, and the timeline while she waited on Mary Beth to get there. It was the first day of school, and she figured Mary Beth would be a little late. She was right.

When Chris compiled the timeline, she added in the locations. She noticed they all happened on the way home from Broadway plays. She made a note to check that out. Mary Beth arrived by 10, and they got to work interviewing the victims and witnesses.

They worked through lunch, and they both left at 2, to get to the lawyer's office by 3. Chris texted David the address of the lawyer's office and he showed up right on time at 2:45.

"Hi honey!". She greeted him with a kiss. Mary Beth gave David a hug and then sat down on the couch in the lawyers waiting room. Isbecki, and Petrie showed up a few minutes later. Coleman was the last to arrive, right at 3.

They were ushered into the lawyer's conference room, and they all sat down around a table. There was a screen set up, so Chris rightly assumed that they were going to see a video.

The lawyer had everyone sign a form and pass it back. Then, he addressed everyone.

"Thanks for coming today. Bert's son has already received his share, and will not be joining us. He named each of you explicitly, so thank you for coming. He recorded a short video with messages for all of you, and you will each receive a copy of the video to take home, along with what he left you. After the video, I will read his declared statement and pass out what he bequeathed to each of you. Let's begin".

He pushed play on the video.

Bert's face appeared right there on the screen. Chris and Mary Beth teared up, but remained calm.

"Bet you guys didn't think you would be seeing me today. Sorry it's like this. Anyways, I asked my lawyer to call you all because you are all very important people to me. Sargent Coleman- I always thought of you as my brother, not only on the force, but also in our faith. Thank you for making my work life so enjoyable and watching after me all those years. To my detective teams: where to start. Let's start with Cagney and Lacey. Lieutenant Keeler- you will always be Cagney to me- you are one damn good cop. You are tough as nails, but you don't hide your emotions well, and you don't let them get the best of you either. You kept me in line, but you let me teach you too. I am eternally grateful to have known you and helped mold you, Lieutenant. Take what I am giving you and follow the instructions! You deserve it". He winked at her. "And to Chris' husband, if he's there or if he sees this- keep her in line. I know that's not an easy task, but if anyone can do it, it's you". "To Mary Beth Lacey- mother extraordinaire. You were not only an excellent mother, you are an excellent cop. You can read people's instincts, and you can tell what they are thinking and when they are hiding something. That's always good for cops to know. You keep that up. Now, I want you to know that I thought of everything. You will understand when the lawyer passes out the bequeaths. Thanks for always being a great cop, Lacey. Victor Isbecki- the resident cowboy. You are a great cop and I know that will continue. I know that you and Ginger are now empty nesters, now that the kids are off on their own. Rest a little easier, huh? And hey, thanks for the laughs. Marcus Petrie-the straightest cop I ever saw. Your determination paid off in a big way, Sargent. You and Claudia have a drink on me, and tell her I said hello. You make me proud, Marcus. You all made me proud. I wouldn't' have had nearly as good a squad without you guys. Thank you for that".

He signed off.

The lawyer stood up and turned on the lights.

"There was a short section for Al Corassa that was deleted this morning since he passed away. However, there is a bequeathment set up for him. Are any of you his heir?"

Chris spoke up. "I will accept it on our foundations behalf".

The lawyer nodded.

He grabbed a stack of envelopes and a set of papers and began to read.

"By now you all should know that I am passed on. This is my last will and testament and my lawyer, Mr. Allan Alvarez, has been instructed on what to do. Best wishes to you all.

Christine Cagney- you never stop. You just go and go and go, like the energizer bunny, and you are a damn good cop, but every cop needs a break now and then. I hope you like this. Please use it like I set it up. Enjoy".

Mr. Alvarez hands her an envelope. Inside, is 2 plane tickets, plus a reservation for a one weeks stay for two at a resort in Santorini, Greece, along with a letter. "Cagney, I remember years ago saying that you had wished you had traveled more when you were younger. You went to Paris, but you never went here. So now's your chance. Take your lucky husband with you".

She teared up. "I can't believe it. How did…..I just can't believe it".

"We will have a great time, babe". David squeezed her hand.

Mr. Alvarez continued. "To Mary Beth Lacey- you were the last one of the cops to have children. And you having Alice kind of made me feel like a grandfather. I know how damn hard it is to raise kids and save for the future on a cop's salary. So when she was born, I set up an account, and put the dividends from the sale of some stocks and bonds in it. To be honest, I had forgotten about this account until 2 years ago, when I received a notice about it. I am giving it to you for Alice's college fund."

Mr. Alvarez slid the envelope across the table to Mary Beth, who couldn't close her mouth.

She opened the envelope. "$75,000?!" Mary Beth teared up. "That man is too kind".

"Victor and Ginger Isbecki- you have no kids at home anymore, and you deserve some time to yourselves. This will accomplish both things- the country and the desert for Victor, and relaxation for Ginger. Enjoy it".

Mr. Alvarez slid the envelope across the table to them. 2 tickets plus a week's stay at a spa resort in Sedona. Horseback riding included.

"He was one hell of a guy".

Mr. Alvarez continued reading. "Marcus, last but not least- wear this with pride. I sure did. You were always the one who was most like me, only better."

Mr. Alvarez handed Marcus an envelope, and inside it was his police academy class ring. Marcus' ring was stolen a few years ago in a burglary. He put it on and it fit, like a glove.

"One last statement from Mr. Samuels".

"To Christine Cagney, I leave my lieutenant shield. To Mary Beth Lacey, I leave my watch, the one from the department. I always used to tell her that hers must be broken. And to Victor, I leave my cowboy hat. Wear it well. Coleman- I leave you my yarmulke. You are the only one who ever knew how to wear it the right way. And to Marcus, I leave you the remainder of my travel account. I started this account back in the 70's, and set it up so that 50 dollars of every paycheck went into it, and that includes my retirement checks. Whatever is in it, I want you to use to take Claudia on the nicest trip you have ever taken. She deserves it, but so do you". Mr. Alvarez pushed an envelope across the table to Marcus.

Marcus opened the envelope. Inside was a bank statement, that Mr. Alvarez said was current as of that morning. The total was $54,600.

"$54,600 dollars. That's going to be some trip all right." Marcus was speechless.

Mr. Alvarez continued. "Ok, last thing. I had several life insurance policies from the department over the years, plus one that my father had started for me as a baby. My son and his family are entitled to two of those policies, and my sister is entitled to 2 as well. That leaves 4 policies. I want you guys to pool the policies and split it evenly amongst all of you. With my blessings and love, Bert Samuels."

Chris and Mary Beth wiped their eyes.

Nobody was really speaking; everyone was basically in shock.

Mr. Alvarez put the envelope on the table and Chris opened it.

"Guys, in this envelope is 4 policies, and the grand total is $100,000. So if we split it like he asked, that's $20,000 for each of us."

Victor was the first to speak up. "I will keep $5,000 of my share, and I want to put the rest into the foundation, Chris".

Marcus, Mary Beth and Coleman all indicated that they wanted to do the same. She turned to look at David.

"Up to you, babe. You deserve it though-do it". She nodded.

"I will set up a bank account with my share, and then I will email each of you the account number so that you can put the remainder of your share into it". They all agreed.

Marcus spoke up next. "Christine, I am going to use the other account he left me to book a trip, but I don't want it to be worth any more than any of ya'll's trips. So, once we get it booked, I will also deposit the remainder into the account, to get the foundation off to a good start".

"That's very kind of you, Petrie. And just for comparison's sake- our trip to the Turks and Caicos'- probably one of my most favorite trips we've been on, was around 12,000 dollars for the both of us. Worth every penny".

"Thanks, Lieutenant."

They looked at Mr. Alvarez. "Is there anything else we need to do?"

He handed them each a piece of paper. "Please sign this to indicate that you received what he left you, and then you are free to go. Each of you has a DVD of this, as well".

They all signed it, and took a copy of the DVD, and left. They gathered in the lobby.

David spoke up. "Would you guys feel more comfortable if we hired an accountant to help us get this foundation off the ground?"

"I am ok either way. I trust you and Chris implicitly."

Everyone else indicated that they felt the same way as Mary Beth.

Chris looked at her watch. It was 3:45. She looked at David. "Wanna go to the bank with me?"

He nodded.

They said their goodbyes and Mary Beth headed for the subway, while Chris and David headed to the bank.

***Chase Bank***

Chris and David chose Chase bank, and then they went to the nearest location. They sat down to open the account, and David had the right forms to open it as a non-profit. He and Chris were co-signers, and the only ones who could draw from the account. They were given two debit cards and a checkbook. They deposited the $20,000 and had $5,000 transferred to her and David's personal account. They also deposited Al Corassa's share, which was $10,500. She texted Marcus, Victor and Mary Beth a picture of the account numbers and routing numbers so they could deposit their shares.

"We don't have an official deadline on this, but let's say the funds will be deposited within 2 weeks, ok?"

Everyone texted back and agreed. She and David signed the other forms and then they left. Chris decided to put all of this into a file, and lock it in their file cabinet at home. She was going to put the checks and the debit cards into their file safe. David swung by the hardware store and picked up some master locks and hasps, and an electric screwdriver. As a surprise, he picked up dinner for them-Chris' favorite Chinese food- shrimp lo mein, Chinese spare ribs, and chicken fried rice.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris got home before David, and immediately went to change clothes. After she was in her comfy clothes, she put the bank stuff in the filing cabinet, after having made a file for it all, and then put the bank cards and the checks into the fire safe.

She came back into the den, and texted David that she was going to start dinner.

"No you aren't babe. It's taken care of".

She sent him a smiley face emoji, and then made herself a club soda with lime and laid down on the chaise part of the couch. She had been thinking on the way home what to do with the $5000. She finally figured she had 2 options- take a girls trip with Bridgit and Lisa, or go on a shopping spree.

She texted Bridgit and Lisa and asked them if they wanted to do a girl's trip. "Sure, if my mom can watch Charli". Lisa responded "Sure thing, Aunt Chris! What do you have in mind?"

"We could do a spa trip, where we get massages and mani/pedi's and facials, or we could go somewhere like Chicago, where we can shop till we drop. Up to you guys".

Bridgit responded first. "We could bring mom and Charli, and we could do a spa trip close to LA- there's a spa that she loves and used to take us to. Lisa, do you remember where it was? Anyways, mom used to put us in the daycare there, so I know that they will be able to watch Charli. And she and I can trade off shifts in the spa".

Lisa chimed in. "It was in Utah. It's called the Sorrel River Ranch and Spa. It's great, Aunt Chris. Mom took me there a few years ago. The massages were on point"

"Is that what you girls want to do? I am game if you are. Pick the date- I was thinking we would leave on a Thursday, and then come home on Sunday. Let me know what weeks ya'll want".

She sipped her club soda a few more minutes and pulled up pictures of Santorini, Greece. She couldn't' believe the Lieutenant had left her such an extravagant gift. She was shocked, and she was surprised at how much she was already missing him. He really had made a profound impact on her life.

David arrived home then, and told her that the Chinese food was going to be delivered. She got up and went to him. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Thanks for going with me today, honey. And thanks for going to Greece with me also". She kissed him a few times.

"You're welcome babe. I would do anything for you, you know that". He kissed her a few times, and hugged her tight.

"I was texting Bridgit and Lisa earlier. I think we might take a trip with Charli and Ann, maybe to a spa, just a long weekend type of thing".

"That's a great idea, babe. You girls deserve your time".

"You don't think you will miss me too much?"

"I might. But that just means I will be overjoyed to see you when you get home, babe". He kissed her again.

"Think of all the fun we will have in Greece".

"That should be our end of chemo trip and then we can use Brian and Ann's trip later".

"Great idea, babe".

She began to set the table and he went to change clothes.

She put on some water to make tea, and then she heard her phone go off.

It was a text from Ann. "Chris, are you sure you girls want me on the spa trip? I know you like your time with Bridgit and Lisa".

"We would love for you to join us. It will be fun, just the Cagney women".

"Thanks, Chris. We have selected the weekend after next, will that work for you?"

She looked at her calendar. "Yes that will be fine. I will book us tickets, with a layover in LA, so you can meet us. I will let you know when I have the arrangements booked".

The doorbell rang, so David opened it and paid for the Chinese food.

She grabbed their plates and started opening the containers.

After they ate, she put the leftovers in the fridge. She started unloading the dishwasher and David helped by doing a rack with her. Then she loaded the dishwasher and scrubbed out the sink.

"Honey, I made a file for the Foundation stuff and put it in the filing cabinet. I put the debit cards they gave us and the checkbook in the fire safe tonight. So at some point, we need to put a lock on the filing cabinet. Do you think we should put a deadbolt on the closet door?"

"Which closet door?"

"The one in the office, the one with the shelves".

"Not a bad idea, babe. And I bought a lock and a hasp tonight for the filing cabinet".

"yay".

David grabbed the bag from the hardware store and started putting the screwdriver together. She went into the office with him and helped him put the hasp on the filing cabinet and get the lock straight. It only took them about 25 minutes to complete. After they were finished, he put the screwdriver in his toolbox and put it in the closet.

"You looked pretty sexy with that screwdriver, honey". She winked at him.

"I had the sexiest assistant in town". She went to put the trash into the garbage can and then she headed to run a bubble bath in the Jacuzzi.

She had just climbed in when he came in and joined her.

She leaned against him and he washed her back and her hair, and massaged her neck and shoulders with a body scrub. He really worked out the kinks and the knots and made her feel better. They soaked a while when he was done, and then they switched places so she could massage him. After she finished, they got out and dried off.

He went and locked the doors and set the alarm and got her a glass of water and she got the bed ready.

They climbed into bed and he wrapped his arms around her. They made love and then fell asleep. Chris loved relaxing nights like this at home with him.

***A few days later***

Chris and Mary Beth had made lots of headway in their case. Chris had also made lots of headway setting up the foundation. David had filed the papers for their non-profit business license, and they received their tax id number. Chris designed the logo, and saved it on to the computer and also in dropbox. She designed three different ones and had everyone vote on them. The first one was just the words The Gang's All Here, in Block print. The second one had the same words going over the skyline of New York. The third one had them going over and under the police shield that said NYPD. It was very similar to the NYPD shield, but not identical because they weren't sponsored by the NYPD in any way.

Everyone voted for the one with the shield. So she had that imprinted on the fabric for the tent, and she also ordered a few chairs and a table. Her apartment came with a storage unit. The one that she had bought to add Miranda's room to her place also had one. So they decided to use that one as the official Foundation storage unit. Worked out great when it came to storing stuff.

She signed them up for 3 community festivals in September, and 2 in October. They printed flyers to distribute asking officers to donate. Things were getting real.

The Gang decided to start having lunch dates twice a month. That way they could take care of business and catch up as well. They decided to recruit uniform officers to run the booths at festivals, and Chris added Bridgit and Lisa to that list as well, since they had told her they would be happy to help. Isbecki was the Union representative for the foundation, so that way he could find out what they really needed the foundation to provide for the officers. It was all coming together, albeit slowly.

She left the office around 4, and headed home. She was going to be making dinner for Bridgit, and Lisa and Charli. They were planning on figuring out the specific dates for their trip, and planning what they want to do each day.

She swung by the grocery store, and picked up the ingredients to make the girls chicken scallopini with extra artichokes and mushrooms, and consommé rice, plus the salad that she knew they loved. She paid and then headed home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris comes in and locks the door behind her. She turned the alarm off, and set it to home. She unloaded the groceries and then went to change clothes. She came back into the kitchen and started making the chicken scallopini. She turned the oven on and started the rice, and got that in the oven, since it takes an hour to cook. Then she finished the chicken Scallopini, and set it in the lower oven to keep warm.

Bridgit and Lisa were supposed to be there at 5:30; it was now 5:10. She tossed the salad and put it back in the fridge. She made herself a club soda with lime and then set the table. David came in right then.

"Hi babe! Girls here yet?" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

"Hi honey. Nope, just me and you". She kissed him back.

"Good, that gives us a few minutes". He kissed her a few times and kissed her neck some. "I missed you all day, babe".

"Me too, honey. Hey your doctor called, said you only have two treatments left and wanted to know how you are feeling?"

"How do you think I am feeling, babe?" He kissed her again, and then went to change clothes.

He came back into the kitchen, and picked up his keys.

"Babe, I am going to give you and the girls some space. I am going to see a movie and grab a bite and then I will be back".

"You don't have to do that, honey. The girls love you. I'm rather fond of you myself".

"As much as I love you babe, you need your girl time, and I know that you don't want to see The Avengers or Batman vs. Superman with me, so I figure this way I can see the movie and you can spend time with the girls".

"Good point, honey".

She kissed him goodbye and he left.

Bridgit and Lisa knocked on the door about 10 minutes later, and Chris let them in.

"Sorry we are late, Charli was still sleeping".

"No problem, girls. Come on in".

"Where's David?"

"He went to a movie so we could have some girl time".

"Well, he didn't have to do that, just for us".

Bridgit got Charli out of her car seat and Chris held her for a little bit.

"She's getting so big! And has such pretty eyes."

"She loves being a big girl, Aunt Chris. She is finally sleeping through the night, thank goodness".

Bridgit fed Charli a bottle then, and Chris got up and started getting dinner out of the oven. Lisa helped Chris get everything ready, and then they ate after Bridgit was done feeding Charli.

They had a nice dinner, and Charli slept through the whole thing, and then both girls helped Chris clean up the kitchen. She made sure to save some Chicken Scallopini for David, and some of the rice.

They went and sat on the couch after that and began talking about their trip.

"Ok girls, your mom said any date will work for her, and I am very flexible. So what dates work for you guys?"

"Well, I have a week off in October, and I have a few floating days in September that I can take as well. How soon do you want to go, Aunt Chris?"

"As soon as you guys want to".

"Bridgit, when can you go?"

"Anytime. September might be a little soon, but I can work it out".

They settled on the weekend after next, at the end of August, and they were going to leave on Thursday morning and return on Sunday night. Chris started looking at flights.

Bridgit was texting her mom.

"Aunt Chris, mom says she will meet us at DFW, and then we can be on the last flight together."

"Good idea".

Bridgit's phone went off again. "Mom also says that she is paying for my and Lisa's plane ticket, so that you don't have to pay for everything"

"Tell her thank you, that is very kind of her".

She booked their flights, and then she let the girls tell her which room to book at the resort.

Bridgit and Lisa looked at each other and then spoke in unison. "Mountain view resort".

So she booked that for them as well. They each booked a very nice spa package, and she booked an extra massage for herself and the girls booked horseback riding on two days. It was going to be a very fun trip.

They started chatting after they were done booking the trip, and telling Aunt Chris all about their boyfriends. Bridgit and Zach were still friendly, but they had agreed to see other people. Lisa and Nick were closer than ever.

"Did you girls tell these guys that you would be going on this trip?"

They both shook their heads. "Nick will be in Boston that weekend anyway for a business conference so it's really the perfect time".

They chatted about the Bachelorette, and then turned on Magic Mike again, on the Smart TV.

Just after they finished it, David came in.

"Hi babe, hi girls".

"Hi, my favorite stripper," the girls busted out laughing.

"I'm afraid to ask". He kissed Chris and came and sat down beside her.

"We booked the whole trip. Spa packages and all".

She pulled up the resort webpage so he could look at where they were staying.

"That's a nice place, girls. You guys will have a great time".

Bridgit and Lisa and Charli said their goodbyes then, and the girls headed home, after promising to text when they got home.

"Thanks for dinner, Aunt Chris. We love you!".

"Anytime girls! You are always welcome, Love you too!".

They left, and Chris locked the door behind them. She looked at the clock, it was 9:40. She set the alarm to home, and double checked that the door was locked.

"I saved you some Chicken Scallopini and consommé rice, honey".

"Yum, babe".

She went to the bedroom to put her pajamas on, and then climbed into bed.

David climbed in after her, and they cuddled up and fell asleep.

***A few days later***

The tent arrived. Chris put it in the back of her car, and showed it to Mary Beth when she got to work the next day.

"I love it. Samuels would be very proud of this, Chris."

"I think so too".

She sent a picture of the tent and the logo to Isbecki and Petrie and Coleman.

"Looks great!". "Looking good Lieutenant".

"Outstanding Christine".

She put in the time off request form with Feldberg and told Mary Beth what days she would be gone with Bridgit and Lisa and Ann.

"That sounds like real fun, Chris. You all will enjoy that".

"I hope so. It will be fun to really get to know my sister-in-law. And the massages and mud baths will be nice and relaxing also".

She and Mary Beth got to work on their case- whether or not a group of private schools on the north end of the city were discriminating when it came to admissions. This case was going to involve a lot of investigating and going through tax records and taking statements from witnesses.

Chris decided to tackle the records and Mary Beth tackled the witness statements. They ordered lunch in from the deli across the street and worked straight thru lunch, and the next time Chris looked up, it was almost 4:15. She decided to take a break, and head home. She packed up the records to take home with her.

She and Mary Beth clocked out at 4:30, and headed home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris got home, and came inside. She went and changed clothes and came back to the kitchen, and was trying to figure out what to have for dinner.

She opened the fridge and couldn't really figure out anything she wanted. So she fixed herself a club soda with lime and grabbed her phone and texted David that when he got home, they were going to go out for dinner.

"Babe, it's all taken care of. Be home in a few".

She smiled, thinking how lucky she was. He always took care of her.

He came in a few minutes later.

"Hi babe! You are a sight for sore eyes!". He picked her up and spun her around and kissed her.

"Hi honey!". She kissed him back.

"It's so good to be home. I was in court all day today and it just wasn't where I wanted to be".

"I know the feeling".

She looked at him. "So where do you want to go eat, honey?"

"My senior partners had a raffle drawing today, and we won a few gift cards. You pick".

He put them all out on the table. She picked 3 out of the 5 gift cards that he had. They chose to save the steakhouse one for a special night, and the hibachi one for Miranda's birthday. That left a Barbecue place, a Chinese place, and a tapas place.

She went and changed into palazzo pants and a racerback lace top, and some silver flip flops. She was ready in about 7 minutes. David changed too, into a button down shirt and some jeans.

They grabbed all three gift cards and went to the tapas place first. The wait was over an hour, and Chris said that was too long. Then they went to the Chinese place but it was closed. So they tried the barbecue place, and were able to be seated right away.

"I don't think I have ever had barbecue, honey. Not sure what to expect here".

"I have had it, but it's been many years since I did".

The waitress came and took their drink order, and then they asked her what she recommended.

"I love the rack of ribs, with slaw and another side. I like them dry, but you can also get them wet too".

David ordered the large rack of dry ribs with beans and slaw, and Chris ordered the large rack of dry ribs with macaroni and cheese and slaw.

Chris was apprehensive, but she ended up trying and enjoying the ribs.

"We should figure out how to make these ourselves, honey. You could grill these up in no time".

"Good idea, babe. I will start looking for recipes".

David paid the bill, and they left the restaurant. They headed to the grocery store on the way home, and Chris loaded up the cart for the week. She grabbed chicken and steaks, and shrimp, and pasta sauce and things to make ravioli, and lasagna, and caprese chicken. She also grabbed some salad bags and fresh fruit.

David added some seafood and bacon to the cart, and they also got some of his favorite snack foods. He was a big late night eater, and she really wasn't. He grabbed some of her favorite ice creams and then they checked out.

They headed home and brought in all the groceries. He helped Chris put them away, and he took the grocery bags to the trash chute.

She started marinating the chicken, and put it in the fridge. After all of the groceries were put away, she turned off the kitchen lights and went to the chaise lounge on the couch. She pulled out the records from work and started going through them again. She was determined to find something that would be helpful, or would prove that they were discriminating and only allowing white children to attend school there.

She spread out all of the records around her. She was looking all through them for hours and still didn't find anything.

She got frustrated and decided to keep going, because that was usually when she got the answers.

Before long, she fell asleep, under all those papers.

When she woke up, David was already in bed. She put the papers away, and saw that he had locked the door and set the alarm and even got a glass of water for her nightstand. It was 11:45.

She went and changed into her pjs and then climbed into bed.

David woke up when she got in bed.

"Come here, babe". He wrapped his arms around her.

"Sorry I fell asleep, honey. Did you try and wake me?"

"You looked so peaceful I just couldn't. I figured you would wake up soon enough, and then I fell asleep watching the news".

She nestled into his arms and he kissed the side of her face.

They slept all night.

***The next morning***

Chris woke up and got ready for work. She was going with David to his doctor's appointment and then going to work straight after. She got dressed, and then started making them breakfast while he was getting ready. She knew it would be a long day, so she decided to be comfortable. She wore palazzo pants, black with purple and blue paisley, and a bright purple ruffled top, and her comfiest flats.

She went to make them breakfast, and decided on French toast and fresh fruit. She squeezed him some orange juice, and poured herself some pear juice.

They had a nice breakfast and then she did the dishes. His appointment wasn't until 8:45, so they had time.

She started to gather her things to take to work.

"Honey, are we going to the appointment in two cars, or one?"

"Let's go in one. We can come back here afterwards".

They went to the parking garage and decided to go in her car. She let him drive.

***David's dr. office***

They walked into the office and she signed him in and did the paperwork. Then they were called back. He was having a blood draw and a tumor marker test. They would only be there about an hour, tops.

Chris sat in the exam room with him, and leaned her head on his shoulder. She laced her hand through his.

The nurse came in and he sat on the table, and she drew blood for both tests. He came and sat down next to Chris again and they waited for the nurse to come in or the doctor to come in.

About 20 minutes later, the doctor and the nurse came in.

"Hi, David. Christine. Great to see you". They shook hands.

"I looked over the results of your bloodwork. I assume you took your last chemo pill last week?"

David nodded.

"Well, that's good. Based on everything I see here, I think your leukemia is gone. You have healthy blood again, and healthy bone marrow, and best of all, we did it without a bone marrow transplant. That's miraculous. Congratulations".

Chris kissed him, as she wiped tears away from her face. He shook hands with the doctor.

"So now you will need to go up front and check out. We have some goody bags for our patients when they finish chemo. And you get to ring the bell. We will take your picture too. Also, I want to see you in 2 months, for a checkup. If this comes back, I want us to catch it as early as possible".

"Thank you doctor".

They headed up front, and checked out with the nurse. The nurse let him pic a goody bag- he opened it and showed it all to Chris. It was filled with gift cards and coupons for free things. He went and rang the bell, and Chris took his picture, and the nurses did too. He also got to pick a present from the bell tree, and he picked one and handed It to Chris to hold.

They headed towards the car then, and back to their apartment.

***Chris and David's apartment***

The doctor said David needed to eat, so they came inside and she made him some ravioli and toast. She made a salad for herself, and grilled a steak to go on it. She texted Feldberg that she would be in at 12.

After they had their early lunch, she cleaned up the dishes and started the dishwasher.

She handed him the present from the doctor's office.

"Honey, you never opened your gift".

He pulled her onto his lap and opened it.

"Babe, this is great. It's a Visa Gift card worth $5,000. We can really use this".

"You earned it, honey. You use it, however you'd like".

He kissed her.

"We should celebrate your beating cancer, honey. Want me to make you a special dinner tonight? Or maybe we can get a hotel room and have a staycation somewhere?"

"I know exactly what I want to do to celebrate, and I know exactly where, and with whom".

He stood up, and picked her up, and carried her to the bedroom.

They had mad, passionate sex, and then got up and got dressed. It was time for work.

They walked to the car together, and he kissed her goodbye.

"I love you babe, more than you will ever know".

"I love you too honey. We can continue celebrating tonight when you get home".

She kissed him, and then they both headed to work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris walked in, right at 12. She had stopped and picked up a pasta salad for later.

"Hey there, partner. How was David's doctor's appointment?"

"Hiya partner. It was great. He officially beat leukemia, and got to ring the bell and everything"

"That's wonderful, Christine! I am very happy for him, and for you".

"Thanks, I am glad that it's behind us".

They got to work, and just before 4:30, Chris found their admission statement online. It differed greatly from the one that she had. The one that she had only indicated white kids, but the one online indicated they accepted kids of all races.

They were getting closer, they just had to figure out how to really get in there and find out the truth.

At 4:45, she clocked out and went home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris came in, and locked the door behind her. David wasn't home yet. She and the girls were leaving in one more day to go on their girl's trip. She decided to start getting her clothes ready, while she waited for David to come home.

She pulled the suitcase down, and put it on the bed. She took their hamper to the laundry room and started laundry.

She went back to their room, and started going through the closet. She decided comfort was key for this trip, so she grabbed palazzo pants, and yoga pants to take with her. She grabbed a few shorts as well. She always over packed because she liked choices. She put some racerback tanks and a few halter and strapless tops in her suitcase and then threw in some flip flops and wedges. She did her pajamas and underwear and selected what she was wearing on the plane tomorrow night. She was trying to decide between her bathing suits when she heard the door open. David was home.

"Hi babe, I'm home".

"Hi honey, in here". He came in the bedroom to find her packing. He kissed her.

"Hi, babe. You getting all ready?"

"Trying to". She kissed him back.

"What do you want for dinner? I haven't started making anything yet, but I can".

He kissed her. "You pack, and I will take care of dinner".

"Ok". She kissed him again.

She finished packing and he went to start dinner. He wouldn't tell her what it was and he wouldn't let her help. She was glad to see him happy again, and with some energy again.

She finished packing, and went and switched out the laundry and started a new load. She packed her carry-on bag with her phone charger and some books, and a spare set of glasses, and a second water bottle.

"Babe, dinner is ready".

She headed to the kitchen. David was waiting with the table set, candles lit, fresh flowers on the table, and an elegant dinner of her favorite- steamed lobster and shrimp and veggie kebabs, with a side of rice. He poured her a glass of San Pellegrino in her favorite flavor, blood orange. He showed her to her seat and pulled out her chair and everything. He sat down next to her and they ate a lovely meal.

"Honey, this is so good. You really went all out!"

"You fix dinner for us all the time, babe, and most of it by yourself. I just wanted to give you the night off".

"Well, I appreciate it, but I do love cooking for you, David. My favorite is when we cook together".

"I love that too. I also love cooking for you. If I could, I would get home first and cook for you every night".

They ate, and then did the dishes together. She unloaded the dishwasher and they loaded it together. Then she started looking in the fridge.

"Honey, there is marinated chicken here, and also some steaks in the freezer, and some ground beef. I made you some spaghetti sauce last weekend, that's in the freezer. There is salad mixes and fresh fruit, and we got you a lot of your snack foods. Also, for breakfast, there is plenty of eggs for egg white omelets and I got fresh mushrooms and tomatoes for you also".

"Babe, babe, babe. I am going to be fine. You are only going to be gone from Wednesday night to Sunday. That means 4 dinners, maybe 5, and 4 breakfasts. I will be ok".

She kissed him. "Ok. I will trust that you can feed yourself while I am gone".

He kissed her. "You are so cute".

She went and finished packing, and then changed into her pajamas. She climbed into bed, and started going over the records from work.

David came in.

"Can I help with those?"

"No, actually I don't think I have the right ones. I think the ones I need are at work".

She started putting them back into her briefcase, and took her briefcase back to the den.

She came back to bed and climbed in next to him.

He turned the lights off, and turned the TV to their favorite music station.

"Close your eyes babe".

She closed her eyes. He got out the massage oils and put them on the nightstand.

"Keep your eyes closed and trust me, ok?"

"Ok". He unbuttoned her pajama top and had her lie back on the bed. He leaned down to her ear and said "turn over".

She knew what was happening. Massages from David were another one of her favorites.

She turned over and he rubbed the oil all over her back and started rubbing her stress spots and getting the kinks out. She was moaning in pleasure and really getting into it. David relaxed her like no other.

He rubbed her back and shoulders for an hour or so, and then moved to her glutes and then turned her over and started rubbing her feet.

After he was done, he sat her up and sat behind her. She scooted down and put her head in his lap and he gave her a head and face massage like she always gave him. She fell asleep with her head in his lap and him rubbing her neck. She was totally relaxed and stress free. He sat, staring at her for a long time, asking himself how he got so fortunate. He loved her so much and would do anything for her. He was lucky that she had come into his life not once, but twice, and had given him second chances for all the stupid stuff he had done. He didn't know what he would do without her, and he didn't want to think about how close he came to finding out.

After about 30 minutes, she woke up, and he sat her up and they laid back down. He cut the TV off and just held her.

She rolled over and started kissing him. They made love, and then fell asleep all nestled together.

***Wednesday***

Chris woke up when her alarm went off, and jumped in the shower. She took an extra-long shower, scrubbing off the massage oil. She got ready for work, and then went and made them breakfast. She made them both egg white omelets with mushrooms and tomatoes and cheddar, with juice.

She brought her luggage out to the den, and then they ate.

She put the dishes in the sink afterwards and started to unload the dishwasher.

"Babe, I will get it tonight. Don't worry about it."

She nodded.

They walked to the parking garage, and he helped her load her suitcase and carry on into the back of the car. She was going to leave straight from work to head to the airport.

"Have a great day, and a wonderful time on the trip, babe. You deserve every minute of it". He kissed her a few times.

"Thanks honey. I am going to miss you so much though". She kissed him back a few more times.

They finally left, and then she went to work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's apartment***

She came in and signed in, and then went and filled up her water bottle. She was ready to get to work on the records and had figured out how they could prove it.

She was going to have another officer pose as a mom wanting a place for her child to go to school. The officer would go in and ask for a tour, and take pics of what the kids looked like. She would also fill out paperwork about her children, and indicate that they are African-American, and then see what the school says when they realize that.

The officer was going to be Detective Watkins. She was a white lady, in her late 30's, who was married to a black police officer and they had two children. It would be perfect.

Chris was getting it all set up when Mary Beth came in, and they worked on this till about 11:30.

They were talking about ordering in lunch and from where, when David came in with lunch for both of them from Chris' favorite deli.

"Lunch, for my beautiful wife and beautiful partner".

"Hi honey! What a nice surprise".

She stood up and hugged and kissed him.

"Just wanted to tell you goodbye one more time".

"Thank you for lunch, David. That was very kind".

"You're welcome, Mary Beth. My pleasure".

They ate lunch, and then David stood up to leave.

"I have to go now, Chris. Gotta get back to work".

"Ok honey, thanks for bringing us lunch. I love you, I will call you tonight when I land".

He kissed her a few times.

"Bye babe".

"Bye honey".

He left and she and Mary Beth got back to work.

"what time is your flight, Lieutenant?"

"7. Got to be there by 6. I am planning on getting out of here by 4:45 at the latest and heading straight to the airport to meet Bridgit, and Lisa and Charli".

That's exactly what she did.

***LaGuardia***

Chris got to LGA at 5:30, and checked her luggage. She got in the security line, which was surprisingly short. She had left her gun in her car, and felt naked without it. She was waiting in the line, when the girls walked up.

"Hi Aunt Chris!" They were so excited to see her. She was excited to see them too. Bridgit had Charli in a carrier, and had her car seat and a large suitcase and a large carry-on. Lisa had a large suitcase and a carry-on as well. They were both dressed extremely comfortable for traveling.

They got through security and then headed to their gate.

"Do you girls want to eat here, or do you want to go somewhere to eat when we land?"

"Either is fine with me". Lisa agreed with Bridgit.

Chris pulled their tickets out, and saw that they would have more time when they had a layover in DFW.

"We could always eat in DFW, while we wait for an hour".

"Good idea". Bridgit went and grabbed a snack, and fed Charli before they took off. Her plan was to have her asleep when they took off so she wouldn't have to deal with pressure issues. Lisa read a magazine, and played on her phone some.

About 30 minutes later, they boarded the plane and got settled. Bridgit checked the car seat at the gate, and ended up having to check her suitcase as well. Lisa had decided to carry on her suitcase.

Lisa got the window seat, and Bridgit and Charli got the middle, and Chris got the next seat. The aisle was the only seat left on their row.

By the time the doors were closed, nobody had sat there, so Chris moved over, and Charli got her own seat. She sat up like a big girl and everything. Bridgit held her while they took off, and then put her back in the seat once they had passed the pressure part. She didn't seem to have any pressure issues at all.

Chris pulled a book out and started reading. They had a nice flight, and were right on time to land at DFW.

"Are we sitting together on all the flights, Aunt Chris?"

She pulled the tickets out. "Yes. On our next flight, you and your sister and niece and mom will have the seats on this row, and I will be across the aisle. On the way back, it looks like it is the same setup".

"Yay, I am glad we get to sit together".

They landed and started getting their luggage down from the overheads. Chris held Charli, so that Bridgit could put her baby Bjorn on, and then she put her in it. They filed off the plane in an orderly fashion and the girls were eagerly looking for their mom. Chris found a map of the airport and a list of what restaurants they had.

"Mom! Mom! Over here!". The girls ran to Ann and wrapped her in hugs. She hugged them back, and then immediately took her granddaughter and snuggled her over and over. She came over and hugged Chris too.

"So great to see you, Ann!".

They picked a place to go eat, and headed towards it, with all of their things in tow.

After they ate Mexican, they went back to their gate to wait for boarding. Ann hadn't put the baby down since she saw her. Charli was sleeping in her GiGi's arms.

They boarded the next flight, and Chris saw on the ticket it was only going to take an hour. She sent David a text. "We are on the second plane, honey. Love you and miss you".

He texted back. "Love you. Have a safe flight. Call me when you get settled into your room".

She read a lot on the second flight, and finished her book just before they landed. She was ready for a club soda with lime and a nice, soft bed.

After they landed, they headed to baggage claim so that Bridgit and Chris and Ann could get their bags. Then they waited for the rental car that Chris had reserved, and for her to pull it around. She had asked for a Ford Explorer and they had reserved her a Tahoe. They all climbed in, and waited while Bridgit installed the car seat for Charli; then they started heading towards their resort.

About an hour later, they arrived. It was 9:30. Bridgit convinced them to stop for In-and-Out burgers and fries, and they all indulged.

They checked into their rooms. Chris had gotten them a suite with 3 bedrooms and shared living quarters. She had spared no expense for this.

She took the room with its own bathroom, and then Bridgit took the one closest to the kitchen. Lisa and Ann took the other one. Each room had two beds in them. There was one shared bathroom, and one master bathroom. There was a mini kitchen and a living area with a nice TV, and a patio with incredible views off of that room.

Chris sent David a text that they had landed. He responded with a text asking if she was going to bed soon.

"I am not sure. We just had a snack but I don't know what we are doing".

She came out and found them all getting ready for bed. So she said goodnight and headed to bed herself.

She texted David. "Guess I am going to bed".

After she had changed into her pj's and climbed into bed, her phone rang.

"Hi, honey".

"Hi babe. Gosh I miss you".

"I miss you too".

"Is the place nice?"

"Yes, it's lovely. Spacious rooms and beautiful views".

"Well, if you like it, maybe you and I can go back there someday".

They chatted for a few more minutes, and then said goodnight. She hung up and drifted off to sleep.

***Thursday morning***

They all got up around 7:30, and got ready for breakfast. Breakfast was in the restaurant at 8:30. Charli was jabbering up a storm while they were getting dressed. She had slept all night and hadn't woken up once, until she got up at 6:45 for her first bottle.

They made their way down to the restaurant and got seated for breakfast.

This place was known for their breakfasts and they did not disappoint. Chris ordered the Strawberry Banana waffles, and a side of bacon with 2 scrambled egg whites. She ate every bite. Everyone loved what they ordered, and after they were done, they headed to the front desk to get their schedule for the day.

Chris and Ann were getting massages first, and Lisa and Bridgit were getting facials. They were going to meet in the mud bath, and then they would switch. Charli was going to the daycare, as soon as Bridgit dropped her off.

Chris and Ann headed to the massage area, and got changed into their robes. They were seated in the quiet room, and then they were each called back for their massages.

Chris was led to a massage room, and given a few minutes to get undressed and get on the massage table. She then experienced the best deep tissue massage she had ever received. She could really feel the knots dissolve. She relaxed completely, and was ready for the mud bath.

She was taken to the mud bath room after her massage. They gave her a skin suit to put on, and she then climbed into the mud bath. She soaked for a few minutes, and then Ann came in. They had the mud bath to themselves for about 10 minutes and then Bridgit and Lisa came in. They came in and got in the mud bath too.

They were allowed to soak in the mud bath for an hour. Then they were taken to a shower room, and they showered, and took the skin suit off, and put their robes back on and then they were taken to the quiet room again. Chris was called back to the facial room, and after her facial was done, she met everyone back in the lobby. It was now time for a late lunch. She felt blissful and rejuvenated and couldn't wait to do it all again.

She signed up for a hot tub soak that night, along with Ann and Bridgit and Lisa. Bridgit said Charli could sleep in the stroller next to the hot tub.

They had a late lunch at a grill there in the resort, and then Chris made them dinner reservations for 7. She headed to the room to take a nap, while the others went shopping.

***That night***

Chris woke up when her alarm went off and put on a pair of shorts and a tank. She met them in the lobby so they could have dinner at the steakhouse. The steaks were some of the best she had ever had, and they were so tender. After they finished dinner, they headed to the room, to change for the hot tub. Bridgit made Charli a bottle and Ann fed it to her, and she fell asleep in the stroller. So they parked the stroller next to the hot tub and covered her with a blanket.

They really enjoyed the hot tub, because it was in a mineral water tub, and not tap water. It felt really good on their skin.

"What are we doing tomorrow? We don't have any spa services planned, but we can add some if we want to".

"Why don't we lay by the pool and soak up the sun? That is just as relaxing as the spa services".

"OOOh that will be awesome, Mom! And maybe we can run to Target in town to get Charli a float?"

"Target sounds like a great idea".

They soaked and enjoyed cocktails and mock tails by the pool. It was a great night. Around 11, they headed inside and went to their room.

Chris said goodnight and headed to bed, and set her alarm for 7:30 again.

She texted David and then fell asleep.

***Friday***

They got up and had breakfast again, and then went to Target. Chris got a new book to read, and Bridgit got Charli a float and a cute new swim suit. They checked out and ran through Starbucks and then headed to the resort.

They changed quickly, and headed down to the pool. The setup was perfect. There was a swim up bar, and they could order lunch to have right there at the pool; the sun was beaming down, it was great.

When Chris took her cover-up off, Ann and the girls started raving over her body and her swim suit. She had chosen a sequined blue string bikini top, and black string bikini bottoms.

"Wow, Chris. How do you stay so fit and hot?"

"I just workout and eat as healthy as possible, really. I used to work out each morning, but I stopped that. I really just eat healthy, I suppose".

"Well, you look amazing".

"Thanks. You look amazing too".

After a fun day spent by the pool, they decided to go in and shower and change for dinner, and they wanted to go to a yoga class after dinner. It was a great day.

***Saturday***

Chris woke up and ordered breakfast to be delivered to their room. Everyone got to sleep in a little bit on their last day, which was nice.

They sat around and ate breakfast and chatted. It was nice to be lazy.

"What are we going to do today, guys?" Chris wanted one more massage and one more mud bath. She was going to schedule them if they didn't have any other ideas.

Bridgit and Lisa looked at each other and nodded. "Well, we have a surprise for both of you, Mom and Aunt Chris".

"A surprise for us?"

"We want to thank you for an amazing trip, and we love that you wanted to spend time with us, but we know who really makes ya'll happy, and we wanted to do something special for you both. So, here it is". Lisa stood up and went to the door and opened it. There on the other side, was David and Brian.

"Surprise!". David came over and hugged Ann and then kissed and hugged Chris. Chris hugged her brother for several minutes after he kissed and hugged his wife.

"We got each of you a room in the Lover's section of the hotel. You guys can stay there tonight. Lisa and Charli and I are going to fly out to Mom and Dad's house for a few days, and then we will be back in New York by the end of the week."

"This was so great of you girls, really". Chris hugged both of them, and then she went and packed her suitcase again. She and David came out into the living area. Ann was holding the baby, and Brian was talking to Lisa, while Bridgit was packing.

"When are ya'll flying out?"

"We have to leave for the airport In about an hour. We changed our tickets last night, and we called Dad and David last night after we decided to do this".

"Well you certainly surprised me".

Brian looked at Chris. "Can a brother take his sister and brother in law to lunch today?"

"A sister would love that."

After Bridgit got all of her things packed, they all headed downstairs. They said their goodbyes to Bridgit and Lisa, and Brian rented them a car to take to the airport.

"Thanks again for a great trip, Aunt Chris!"

"thanks for a great surprise, girls".

Brian and Ann and Chris and David then went to the restaurant for lunch. After a nice lunch, they went to their respective rooms.

***Chris and David's room***

Chris and David came into their room, and put their luggage down. She grabbed the services menu and showed it to David.

"What do you want to have, honey? I definitely want another deep tissue massage, and a mud bath with a rain shower".

"That sounds nice. How about we get both of those plus a hot tub soak tonight? Where is the hot tub- is it secluded or is it out in the open?"

"Secluded, but you have to book it, so if nobody else books it, then we will have it to ourselves".

He called and booked them for two deep tissue massages and an hour and a half mud bath, with the rain shower, and then he surprised Chris and threw in the body polish for both of them, and booked the hot tub for an hour after that. It was going to be the ultimate relaxation night.

They changed clothes and headed downstairs. They checked in at the spa's front desk, and they were taken to the changing room, and given robes. They were then taken to the quiet room. Chris loved the quiet room. After snuggling in the quiet room for a few minutes, and almost losing control of themselves, they were called back for their massages.

"See you in the mud bath, babe". He kissed her.

"I'll be waiting". She kissed him back.

They went into their respective massage rooms, and got their massages. This time, Chris got a lady who stretched her all kinds of ways in order to really get to the knots. She was in heaven, and loved this massage.

After it was over, she was taken to the mud bath room and given the skin suit to put on.

"It will just be you and your husband in the mud bath today, ma'am. We will knock on the door when you have 10 minutes left, and then we will come in when your time is up and tell you that it's time to shower."

"Thank you".

She put on the skin suit and got in the mud bath. Her favorite part was feeling it sink into her skin. She leaned back and closed her eyes and relaxed on the ledge. She was just about to drift off to sleep when she felt the mud move. David had climbed in the mud bath with her.

"This is wonderful, babe". He squished over next to her.

"I am so glad you came and joined me. That was so sweet of Bridgit and the girls to do that for us".

"I missed you so much, if they hadn't, I probably would have done it myself".

He kissed her, long and slow, the way she loved. He got behind her and gave her the knuckle massage in the mud that she loved for him to do, and then he started to remove the skin suit she was wearing.

"David, we can't…."

"Sure we can, babe. Nobody will know".

He massaged her boobs and her chest, and turned her around and sat her on his lap. She kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her several times and rubbed her back all over. They continued kissing and soaking until the lady came in and told them their time was up.

"Ok thank you".

He stood up and carried her to the ledge, and helped her get out of the mud bath. They headed to the shower, and scrubbed each other clean. It was very sensual and romantic.

After they were done, they put their robes on and headed to the quiet room for their body polish. They were called back right away and taken to separate rooms, and given instructions. They were told to put on disposable underwear, and lay on the water table. They were going to be given a body scrub, and then rinsed off, and then they were going to be lotion-ed up.

It was absolute heaven for Chris and David, and they both wondered why they had never had this done sooner.

After they put their robes back on, they were taken back to the lounge to change and turn the robes in. David left a generous tip for all the technicians that had worked on them, and then they went to their room to change for the hot tub.

Chris put on a pink and gray zebra stripe bikini top, with gray bikini bottoms. She threw on a pink cover up and her silver flip flops. David put on some board shorts and a tank top, and some flip flops. They headed downstairs to the hot tub.

The lady at the front desk gave them the key to the gate and told them they had 90 minutes. Chris had brought a cup and her phone so they could have music, and she told the lady they would set their timer.

They headed out there and picked up the complimentary towels along the way.

They climbed in and she got the music started. She sat down on the step and looked up at the stars.

"The sky is so beautiful tonight".

"Not as beautiful as my wife is".

He kissed her.

"I love you so much, babe. You mean so much to me".

"I love you too honey. More than you will know".

She kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her onto his lap.

He started kissing her neck and squeezing her boobs.

"Honey, we have to be quiet remember?" She kissed him lightly.

"Ok, so we will". He kissed her hard, and passionately.

He grabbed her butt and pulled her bikini bottoms off, and she reached down and loosened his board shorts.

They kissed long and slow, and had made love right there in the hot tub, without making so much as a whisper. It was extremely passionate and alluring. Chris quickly put her bottoms back on, and David tied his, and then they continued to make out some more until the timer went off. They got out of the hot tub, and wrapped up in a towel and dried off together. They gathered their things and headed upstairs to their room.

***Chris and David's hotel room***

Chris and David walked in and quickly grabbed showers to rinse all of the massage oils and chlorine off.

After being in fresh pajamas, they decided to order in room service and watch Netflix.

Chris ordered them sampler plates and burger sliders and drinks, and David found them a movie on Netflix to watch. They climbed up into bed and snuggled up until the room service came.

A few minutes later, room service knocked on their door, and David tipped the guy and brought the cart in himself. They ate in bed, and snuggled after they were done.

"Babe, do you know what we were doing two years ago today?"

She thought for a moment. "No, honey, I don't".

"Well, you received a bouquet of flowers on this day. And the card said that if you wanted to know who your secret admirer was, to text a number. And after the longest 10 minutes of my life, you texted that number and I told you to meet me at the top of the Empire state building in an hour, and we have been together ever since. Ring any bells?"

She nodded. "One of my most favorite, and nerve-wracking evenings".

He kissed her.

He leaned over and grabbed something out of his suitcase and turned back to her.

"To commemorate one of my favorite days ever spent with you, I got you an anniversary band".

"Oh honey, that's so thoughtful".

He opened the box and showed it to her. It was a slim, diamond studded band, that was designed to go behind her wedding set.

He grabbed her hand, and took off her wedding set. He slipped the band on, and then slipped the wedding set back on.

"Perfect. Thank you honey".

He kissed her and hugged her close.

She climbed out of bed, and put their room service dishes on the cart and set the cart in the hallway. She climbed back into bed, and they turned the lights out and turned the TV off.

David wrapped his arms around her and she nestled into him.

"I am so glad you are here, honey. We just go together so perfectly".

"That's because we have such a strong foundation, babe. We have our problems and sometimes we handle them correctly and sometimes we don't, but we have learned from our mistakes from years ago-and we always figure it out and get back to each other. No matter what happens between us babe, I will never stop loving you".

He kissed her tenderly, and she did the fingertip thing on his chest that drove him wild. They made love again, and then fell asleep.

***The next morning***

Chris and David woke up when her phone alarm went off and showered and dressed. They had just enough time to go have breakfast in the restaurant, and then leave for the airport.

She convinced him to try the orange zest waffles, and he convinced her to try the strawberry lemongrass pancakes. They both loved both entrees. They ordered a side of bacon and a basket of biscuits and jelly, and a pitcher of fresh squeezed OJ.

They had a very nice breakfast and then headed back to their room to get their suitcases. They loaded up a luggage cart and came back downstairs. Chris went to the front desk to settle the bill, and found that Bridgit had paid a significant portion of it. Such a sweet girl.

They headed for the car and headed to the airport.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris and David's flights were very smooth, and very uneventful. They got to sit together, and they read and chatted the whole way home.

They landed in New York at 8, and David said he would cook dinner for her when they got home.

"That sounds like a plan, but why don't we cook it together?"

They headed to baggage claim to get their luggage and took the shuttle to their car.

David loaded their bags and then drove her home.

They came inside and took their bags to the bedroom. She surveyed the contents of the fridge. They still had some chicken marinating, that David said he had started marinating on Saturday morning before he left. So they decided to make chicken and shrimp kebabs, and caprese salad.

As they sat down to dinner, David lit the candles. He got out their wedding glasses and poured them some sparkling cider.

"To Us, babe. To us, always being us, and to us, never giving up on us. To you and me being the only us for the rest of our lives".

"To our strong foundation, may it never crumble".

Clink.


End file.
